Left-handed

Does your child prefer the left hand? That's absolutely okay! No need to worry: this is nothing out of the ordinary. Around one in ten people are left-handed from birth. Your child should be free to choose what they do with which hand. To make it easier for your left-handed child to start school, you can provide targeted support.

Left-handedness is congenital. It means that the right side of the brain is more pronounced. Scientific studies have long since shown that left-handedness says nothing about a child's talent or ability. Your child only prefers to carry out activities that require a lot of speed, strength or skill with their left hand.

However, retraining would have fatal consequences! If the weaker half of the brain, in this case the left, has to take on more work, this can lead to excessive demands and developmental disorders. This must be avoided at all costs. For right-handed people, it is exactly the opposite: retraining on the left would have the same negative consequences.

As a right-handed parent, it is often difficult to empathize with a left-handed child: How do I explain the correct pencil position and how to use scissors? Demonstration does not work. Textbook publishers and manufacturers of educational materials have information and accompanying material available for parents. In addition to special school materials, there are also many utensils that make it easier for your left-handed child: from children's cutlery to paring knives, carving knives to computer keyboards and mice. Even musical instruments specially designed for left-handed children are now available from specialist retailers.

The rule of the "right" and the "wrong" hand no longer applies at school. Scientifically speaking, both hands are "right" for writing. Therefore, if your child has the right disposition, he or she should definitely write with the left hand from the start and not feel that you are worried about it. Left-handedness should also never make your child feel "wrong" or "clumsy". However, as children do not like to stand out, it is important to make sure that your child does not try to retrain themselves to be right-handed by imitating you.

• At the workstation for homework, make sure there is enough freedom of movement for the left arm. The light should also come from the right.
• Help your child to slide the exercise book to the bottom right edge. This way, your child can keep their writing hand relaxed and won't smudge their writing later with the fountain pen or rollerball. It also makes it easier for them to see what they have written. A special writing pad helps to find the right position.
• Promote a relaxed writing posture for your child: The left hand rests on the side edge and the right hand holds the notebook or page firmly.
• In early lessons, children are often asked to copy letters that are prescribed at the beginning of the line. Support your child here by writing the corresponding letter at the right end of the line. This makes it easier for your child to see what to write.
• Think about breaks for your child and yourself!

Perhaps your child has not yet decided which hand is better for them. This can also happen. Some children change their "handedness" back and forth several times in the first few years of life. The issue is usually resolved by the age of five, but it can sometimes take longer. By the time they start school, it should be clear which hand is their writing hand. If necessary, consult your pediatrician about this. If necessary, handedness can be clarified using special tests. This is important so that your child can learn to write in a relaxed and relaxed manner right from the start.